Meet Simon: Clair Obscur’s Optional Act 3 Boss So Tough It’s Humbling the Devs
Sandfall Interactive says the optional Act 3 boss Simon is one of the toughest fights in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and some of the studio’s own team members have admitted they haven’t beaten him yet. Additionally, the developers plan a free “major” update in the coming months that will add more challenging battles.
- How Simon fits into Expedition 33
- Design and developer reactions
- Player response and balance changes
- Where to find Simon
How Simon fits into Expedition 33
Simon is an optional late-game boss in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. He appears in Act 3 and is part of the Expedition Zero content. In the story, Simon was a friend of Verso who was manipulated by the Dessendre family and later trapped in the Abyss. The developers describe the fight as intended for highly leveled or maxed-out parties.
Design and developer reactions
Sandfall’s COO and producer Francois Meurisse discussed the boss in a recent video interview. Meurisse said, “Simon is supposed to be the hardest.” He also said, “I haven’t completed it yet. I have to get some mental load off to take some time, really, to beat it for good.”
The game’s CEO and creative director Guillaume Broche pushed for a very high difficulty level during design. According to Meurisse, Broche “tried to create one of the hardest bosses ever.” Meurisse added that he told Broche, “‘Okay, whatever. You can go as hard as you want.’ So I tried not to restrain him.” Conversely, CTO and lead programmer Tom Guillermin said the fight “might have been toned down just a little” to keep designers in check.
Player response and balance changes
At launch, some players shared clips showing quick kills of Simon. Sandfall noted those clips and observed that certain builds, especially Maelle builds, were very powerful at release. Consequently, the team made nerfs to some of those builds, though Maelle still performs strongly.
Meurisse emphasized the studio’s goals for difficulty and accessibility. He said, “It was important to Guillaume to have a game that could be accessible also to many players,” and added that the team wanted to provide tougher content for dedicated players: “Some more hardcore players could find some challenge and some joy in it as well.”
Where to find Simon
For players interested in attempting the fight, Simon can be challenged in the Renoir’s Drafts location during Act 3. Because the encounter is optional and aimed at high-level parties, expect it to require significant preparation and strong builds.
Upcoming content
Sandfall said a free “major” update will arrive in the coming months and that it will include additional challenging battles. The studio indicated that the update should bring more difficult encounters for players seeking tougher fights.
